The Legendary Chronicles
by marbzdude
Summary: My first story. This is about a typical bunch of heroes who have to save the world, but don't worry, this is my original idea and I'll try to make it as authentic as possible. My inspiration for this story was my good buddy, Amiel, a.k.a. Desperadoy.
1. Prologue: Possession of Light

This is my first time to write a story. Easy on the reviews, alright?

The Legendary Chronicles (a Ragnarok Online fanfic)

**Prologue: Possession of Light**

It was a nice day. There were clear, blue skies, birds singing in the trees, not to mention the cool breeze that was in the air. But one particular traveler was not quite as bright as the sun that was shining on him. He was a High Priest. He looked old, a man of about 60 years. He had a bald head and wrinkly features. But he wasn't frail and decrepit. In fact, there was an aura of dignity and youthful energy about him. His face commanded respect and authority. He was used to being treated with such, though.

He had been walking for about a week or two nonstop. The reason for this was that he was following a voice which called out to him in his dreams. He tried to ignore it at first, but every time he slept, it would call him again. He was being driven nuts by this voice, and he could not take it anymore! It was drawing him to some place, like a flame drawing a moth to it. He decided to set out and follow this voice.

The man was quite popular in the kingdom of Prontera. Everyone knew him as the humblest, kindest, and noblest figure in the kingdom. But those traits all hid his true nature. In reality, he was a selfish, arrogant and power-hungry man who would use any means to achieve his goals. But he was also cowardly and insecure. He knows that he has power, but he also fears that inevitable death will soon take it away. This fear has haunted him all throughout his life, and the more he got older, the more it bothered him. And when he became an old man, he knew that the end for him would come soon. If only there was a way to live eternally, he thought! He researched all the books in the Prontera Library, looking for any weapon, enchantment or artifact that would grant him what he sought for. But he found NOTHING, not even the tiniest spell or trinket that would give him many more years to live. He felt bitter and unhappy, and he locked himself in his quarters so that he could waste himself away. Everyone began to think he was a sick and demented madman. And then the voice came. It promised that he would live forever and have ultimate power if he would do what it says. When he first heard it, he thought they were just empty words. But as it repeated itself over and over again, that's when he realized it could be his big chance to get what he always wanted. And besides, he wanted to get rid of this voice as well. That's why he hurriedly left the kingdom with no provisions or means of transportation whatsoever.

The sky became dark and cloudy. He finally arrived at his destination - the Glast Heim fortress. It was a place of evil. Strangely, he did not encounter trouble along the way. And he did not get tired or even stopped to look for food and water during the journey. Why, he thought? Why did he get here without any hassle? He pushed away those thoughts, knowing it wouldn't do him any good to just stay in place while he ponders them. He entered inside. If there was any trouble inside, he would just have to deal with it.

He was becoming more aware of the voice. He could now sense it. It was coming from the church. He made his way there. Nothing stopped him. Entering the church, he saw that the walls and the floor were made of stone. The whole place had an eerie gothic aura about it. Suddenly, a demonic entity with a long black cape made of fire and with a skull for a head appeared before him. The Dark Lord! He prepared to combat the demon. But then more appeared! He realized that these were only Dark Illusions. Nevertheless, he knew that they pose a threat to him, and they had to be dealt with. The Dark Illusions closed in on him.

He bowed his head and put his hands together in a praying manner. He focused all his energy on casting a spell. Raising his head, he roared, "MAGNUS EXORCISMUS!!"

A great aura of holy light emanated from the area which he stood on. It engulfed him as well the Dark Illusions, who writhed and screamed in pain. They slowly disintegrated into nothing. Regaining himself, he stood upright. Then he heard the voice again.

"IMPRESSIVE! I SEE THAT YOU ARE EVEN MORE WORTHY OF THE POWER WHICH I PROMISED TO YOU! COME!"

The voice was louder this time. The man was now cautious. He had just been attacked by Dark Illusions! Something must be going on, he thought. Pressing on, he came upon a big churchyard. Each side of it was lined gravestones. In the middle was an area that looked like a cross with a big square inside it. He walked up to it and saw even more gravestones. In the center of the area was a marble throne. The marble seemed to be black. On the top of the throne was a symbol that looked like a red skull overlapping a white cross. Underneath the symbol were the words:

POWER AND IMMORTALITY

SHALL BE GIVEN

TO THE ONE

SEATED ON THIS THRONE

He could not control himself! The thought of almighty power and immortality in his hands...at last, it was going to become a reality! Wiping away all thoughts of caution from his mind, he sat on the throne. At first, he felt nothing. But then his head started to hurt for a few seconds, and then he lost consciousness. The last thing he heard was an evil, sinister laugh that echoed throughout the fortress and in his head...

The Dark Lord laughed. He suddenly appeared out of nowhere, in the churchyard of his stronghold of evil. He teleported into the middle of the place. He saw an old man seated on a throne.

"Excellent, my trap has worked," he said.

He channeled his will to the man.

"Rise."

The man obeyed without question. He stood upright.

"Very good!" the Dark Lord exclaimed. "It is all going according to plan. The world will soon be mine..."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

(end of the chapter)

Please comment!


	2. Chapter 1: A Hero's Morning Routine

Alright! Here's the first chapter of the main story!

**Chapter 1: ****A Hero's Morning Routine**

Jinzan Kiryoku woke up in his bed. His head started to hurt. He knew that feeling all too well, though, because he had experienced it at least once every week. Sitting upright, he thought,_ Damn, all that training must be taking its toll on me. _Rapidly shaking his head to erase the pain, he rubbed his eyes. When he was done, he got out of bed, and opened the window. Looking out of it, he smiled. _The view is amazing, _he thought. _I guess when you live in a castle, you really enjoy looking at the city. _The city was lined with houses, shops, and most of all, people. The morning sun shone prominently on the city square.

Jinzan was a young knight of Prontera. He was 21 years old, and he had spiky hair with bangs that reached up to the top of his eyebrows. He had brown eyes. His normal gear was a traditional knight's outfit, with one difference. The logo on the cloth he wore on the center of his outfit was not a coat of arms, but rather, it looked like two swords crossed together, with a cross overlapping the spot where the two swords met.

Jinzan was not just any knight. He was the most skilled fighter in Prontera, and he was well respected for that fact. He even made a name for himself as the "Ace Knight" of Prontera, and he lived up to that name. For years, the city was free of criminals and monster attacks, thanks to him and the other soldiers of the kingdom. His popularity has made him a bit brash and arrogant, but the truth is that he has a kind and noble heart. He specialized in the art of spear fighting.

In the present...

He closed the window. He went to the bathroom right in his own bedroom and took a shower. After he got out of it, he put on his armor and went out of his room. Reaching the castle stairs, he went down for breakfast.

A familiar voice greeted him when he reached the foot of the stairs.

"Yo, Jinz!"

It was his best friend Alexander Bladeheart, otherwise known as Alex. He was in full Crusader gear, except that the large plate armor that covered his neck, shoulders and his shirt's chest area was colored emerald green, and his cape was colored red. Instead of a spear, he used a sword and a shield. He had a short and back sides type of haircut and blue eyes.

"Hey, Al!" he greeted back. Not only was Alex his best buddy, he was also his most formidable rival. And indeed he was. As a Crusader, Alex wielded not only his sword, but he could also use his shield as a weapon, and he also has the power of holy magic. With an arsenal like that, he was naturally more powerful than Jinzan. However, Jinzan has better fighting skills and better battle strategies than Alex, which usually gives him the edge over his friend. But in spite of their fierce rivalry, they have remained best friends ever since they were kids. But in their case, the personality of one contrasted the personality of the other. Jinzan was usually an arrogant slacker, while Alex was a humble, hardworking person. Those differences aside, their bond of friendship was very tight, and nothing seemed to break it.

"Hey, let's go! I've been waiting here for you for 15 minutes already!" Alex said.

"What?!" Jinzan replied. "You didn't have to-"

"Of course I had to!" replied Alex. "I can't enjoy some grub without you! Come on!"

Jinzan muttered, "Alright, let's go..."

The two of them headed down the hallway to the dining hall and entered. It wasn't such a fancy place, but at the same time, not so poor either. It looked alright, with torches hanging on the stone walls, and a long table with a long white cloth covering it. There was delicious food on the table, and most of it consisted of meat. Most of the soldiers in the castle were already seated at the table and eating.

Jinzan and Alex sat down. There was already a plate, spoon, fork and knife, along with a glass of water lined up each for both of them. Jinzan grabbed some beef from the table and began to chop it and devour the bite-sized pieces of meat. Alex took some apples instead and began to bite on one of them.

After he had a few munches, Alex faced Jinzan and said, "Jinzan, have you heard the news? Cardinal Valtros is coming back!"

"Really?" replied Jinzan while chewing steak. "I thought he'd gone for good!"

"Nope, apparently he hadn't. The old coot's really coming back. If you ask me, he should have stayed away from the kingdom. He's a crazy old geezer!" said Alex.

Jinzan nodded and said,"I can't agree with you more."

They didn't talk after that, deciding instead to finish their food. They both finished at the same time. Jinzan drank his water, and so did Alex.

"Ah. Nothing like a little water to begin the day!" exclaimed Jinzan.

"You got that right!" added Alex. "So, you ready for training time?"

Jinzan grinned proudly.

"Bring it!!"

(end of the chapter)

Please comment!


	3. Chapter 2: Lucky Day For Cheaters

**Chapter 2: Lucky Day For Cheaters**

The training field was an open place. It lied just outside the castle. The ground was covered in nothing but grass, and a stone fence on each side enclosed the area. All of the soldiers in the kingdom were assembled there.

"I'm gonna kick your ass today, Jinzan!" Alex bragged.

"Heh, good luck with that," retorted Jinzan with a smirk.

"Alright!" boomed a loud voice.

It was Marco, the captain of the guard. He was huge and bulky, and his face looked stern and commanding. He was facing all the other soldiers, who were in formation.

"I have an important announcement to make!" he said. "Today, King Tristan will be paying a visit to the training field, which is right here! I'm expecting all of you to look sharp and be on your best behavior! Is that clear?"

"YES SIR!" shouted the whole army of soldiers.

"Now, begin training!" he announced.

But instead, the soldiers began talking amongst themselves.

"A direct visit from the King himself?"

"But we've never seen him personally, except when we were accepted into the army!"

"It must be something really important!"

"Whoa, a visit from the king," Alex said. "This is so awesome!"

"You're right," Jinzan replied. "But why, I wonder?"

"Oh, don't think about it! Maybe he wants to congratulate the army for a job well done on serving the kingd-"

"QUIET! ARE YOU ALL SO DUMB AS TO MISTAKE TRAINING FOR TALKING??" shouted Marco.

The soldiers quickly got the message. They faced their training buddy. Jinzan faced Alex, who had been his opponent in training sessions ever since they were both inducted into the army.

"So, ready to go down?" Jinzan asked.

"Not likely!" said Alex.

"Come on then! Show me what you got!"

The soldiers drew their weapons. Jinzan took out his spear, holding it with both hands and pointed it at Alex. Alex also unsheathed his sword and readied his large shield, which covered most of his body except for the eyes.

Marco cleared his throat.

"BEGIN!"

Cling. Clang. Clunk. The field echoed with sounds of steel clashing against steel. Every soldier looked like they were giving it their all.

Alex and Jinzan's battle was especially intense. Every stroke of Alex's blade, Jinzan countered. Every thrust of Jinzan's spear, Alex parried. The two looked like they were evenly matched. But the match was soon in favor of Jinzan. His thrusts were quick and relentless, and eventually Alex's sword flew out of his hand and onto the ground.

"Give up, man! You're beat!" Jinzan said.

Alex looked angry. _Dammit, I can't lose to him, no matter what! I've lost too many times already! _he thought.

Picking up his sword, he swung it in a cross-like manner and said, "Holy Cross!"

A projectile of light shaped like a cross emanated from the from the point where the sword slashed through the air and headed towards Jinzan, who had a shocked look on his face. Luckily, he was able to dodge the projectile, which smashed the wall at his back.

"What the?! You can't use your crusader magic during training sessions!" said Jinzan.

"Oh yeah? Try and stop me then, if you can!!" taunted Alex with a sneer on his face.

Jinzan was getting pissed off. "Grr! You son of a-"

"Hey hey hey! What's all this about?"

Marco suddenly intervened. The other soldiers stopped their training to look at the scene.

"He's unfair, Marco!" Jinzan protested. "He's using his magic-"

"Is that so? Well, go on then!"

"WHAT?!"

"Let him use his magic! Haha! Let's see how you beat that, you little wimp! To others, you may be the Ace Knight, but to me, you're just a good-for-nothing slacker!"

Jinzan did not argue any more. He knew he was beat. Marco never had any respect for him, even as he was rising through the ranks of the army.

"Alright, continue!" said Marco.

Jinzan and Alex faced each other again.

"Hehe! There's no way you can beat me now, Jinz! With my magic, I'm gonna win today!" bragged Alex.

"YOU ASSHOLE!!"

Jinzan and Alex charged at each other. One thing was certain: Only one of them will win their match.

(End of the chapter)

Pls comment! I'll try to update as often as possible.


	4. Chapter 3: A Training Duel To The Death

It's been about a week already…sorry I haven't updated in such a long time!

Here's what happened with Jinz and Al's training scrap:

**Chapter 3: A Training Duel To The Death**

"Shield Charge!"

"Charge Attack!"

Alex was heading for Jinzan, intent on ramming him with his large shield. Jinzan was also charging at Alex in a rapid dashing manner, with his spear extended out towards his opponent. The two hit each other at the same time. There was a loud BOOM, and the impact knocked the both of them backwards.

Alex planted his shield firmly into the ground to regain his stance. Jinzan did the same, but instead of a shield, he used the tip of his spear.

Jinzan did not want to waste any more time. He knew that he was at a disadvantage, as Alex had magic and he did not. He quickly charged at Alex again. He prepared to thrust his spear.

"Pierce!"

But Alex was prepared for the attack.

"Reflect Shield!"

A barrier of light surrounded Alex's large shield. The spear hit the the aura, and Jinzan was instantly sent flying backwards. Jinzan tried to get up, but could not because of the pain dealt to him by the reversal of the attack.

Seeing his chance, Alex unleashed Holy Cross. Luckily, Jinzan was able to stand up just as the projectile was about to hit him, and he was able to escape the full force of the attack, with only minimal damage dealt to him.

Jinzan shouted, "Spear Boomerang!" and threw his spear. It whirled towards Alex like a boomerang.

Alex countered with his own Shield Boomerang. The spear and shield collided in mid-air, and flew back towards their respective users.

The spear reached Jinzan first, and after he caught it, he ran towards Alex, with his spear ready to strike. Alex's shield was still flying back to him. He hoped that it would make it in time for him to prepare a counterattack. Then he caught it in his hand. But then...

Too late. Jinzan was already in front of him when he grabbed the shield. Jinzan readied his weapon.

"BOWLING BASH!"

Jinzan made a wide slashing movement with his lance. It hit Alex directly in the stomach.

"Gaah!" exclaimed Alex who was severely wounded. Jinzan walked up to him and pointed his spear at Alex.

"Give up now." said Jinzan.

"T-this isn't the end. I...haven't even brought out my best yet!!"

Alex put his hands together and said, "Heal!"

Light engulfed the spot where Alex had been wounded. After a few seconds, the light disappeared, and Alex's wound was gone as well.

"What?" said Jinzan. He did not expect his attack to be wasted just like that.

Alex grinned evilly.

"Holy Cross!"

This time, the projectile hit its target. Jinzan tumbled backwards, and when he tried to open his eyes, he found that he could not.

Alex took advantage of Jinzan's blindness and used Shield Charge. It slammed Jinzan into a wall.

Jinzan got back on his feet, stepped forward and tried to use sound to discern where Alex was. However, while he was trying to sense his opponent, he was a sitting duck in that spot. Alex walked around to where Jinzan was not facing and charged. By the time he sensed the noise and turned around, Alex sent him backwards with another Shield Charge. This time, the force was only enough to stun him. Alex charged further in Jinzan's direction.

He stopped in front of Jinzan and struck his sword into the ground. "Say your prayers, Jinz!" he shouted. Jinzan heard the sword hit the ground in front of him and knew that it could only mean one thing. Alex was going to use...

"GRAND CROSS!!"

A white cross-shaped aura emanated from the ground. It surrounded both Jinzan and Alex.

"AAAAAGH!" Jinzan cried out.

Alex was smirking. "This time, you're the loser!" he boasted.

_He's right, _thought Jinzan. _There's no way I could win now. Unless..._

He began to think of a plan. He knew that Grand Cross was a Crusader's strongest skill, and that it also hurts its user, although not as much as the one it is being used on. If he could withstand the force of the attack, he might be able to land an attack on Alex, as Alex would be vulnerable after using Grand Cross...

_That's it!_ he thought. He knew what to do now...

"Endure!"

After he used that skill, Jinzan felt a bit better. Sure, he could still feel the pain of the Grand Cross, but he was now able to resist it. With a great deal of effort, he opened his eyes.

"Cmon, Al! Take me down if you can!" he shouted.

Alex kept the Grand Cross going, believing that Jinzan would soon fall. But his strength soon faltered, and the spell was stopped. Alex was now panting.

"Alright Al! My turn now!" Jinzan said. He raised his spear.

"Magnum Break!"

He struck the spear into the ground, and an explosion occurred from the point where the spear struck. It hit Alex and knocked him down. Due to the effect of Grand Cross and that of Magnum Break, Alex was badly weakened and unconscious. It looked like Jinzan had won. But Jinzan fell down and became unconscious as well, right after Alex did.

The other soldiers were also finished with their training. But they finished up way before Jinzan and Alex did, and they were just watching the match.

Marco spoke up again. "I declare a draw between the two! This training session is over!"

(end of the chapter)

Pls comment!

Note: In case you're wondering, Jinzan has the right to use Magnum Break because it's not really magic, just a skill.


	5. Chapter 4: Suspicions and Reunions

**Chapter 4: Suspicions and Reunions**

_Try and stop me then, if you can!_

_Let him use his magic! Haha! Let's see how you beat that!_

_This time, you're the loser!_

_To me, you're just a good for nothing slacker!_

The words of his fellow knights Alex and Marco echoed in his head. _Loser...slacker...maybe that's what I really am,_ he thought. _I'm a loser and a slacker..._

A voice brought him to his senses.

"Wake up, dude!"

Jinzan was startled. He was lying on the grass of the training field. The soldiers were all huddled in a circle around him. They were staring.

"What happened to you, dude?" asked Alex. He looked battle-scarred. He had burns on his face and his armor was a bit charred. "Cmon, let me help you up." He grabbed Jinzan's wrist and pulled him upwards.

Jinzan was able to stand up with Alex's help. "Thanks, but aren't you gonna beat the shit out of me?"

"Nope," Alex replied. "Do you really want an encore?"

Jinzan laughed, and then looked at himself. Pieces of his armor were torn off here and there. "Dude, look at what you did to my duds!" he said to Alex. Alex replied, "At least you're not the one who's burned all over."

"Attention, please!" announced Marco. "The King will be arriving in a few moments!"

"Let's go, Al," said Jinzan.

The soldiers went into formation and stood still. Jinzan and Alex were in the middle of the front row.

Marco stepped in front.

"Let us all welcome...King Tristan!"

The King stepped in front, flanked by two knights. All of the soldiers clapped loudly, and when they were done, they went back to standing in attention.

The King spoke up.

"Thank you. It is very much a pleasure to see the noble men and women who do their best to keep the kingdom safe everyday. The reason why I came here is to announce something very important. I am pleased to inform you that Cardinal Valtros has returned! Please welcome him!"

A bald, wrinkled old man wearing High Priest robes stepped in front and shook hands with the King. There came more clapping from the soldiers, but this time, the clapping was slower and a bit softer than earlier.

Cardinal Valtros faced the soldiers and began to speak.

"I thank you all for this wonderful greeting. It has been almost a month since my departure. You see, I left to relax and spend time away from the complicated city life. But now, I have returned, and I am ready to serve the kingdom again! That is all I have to say."

There was a long pause, after which the soldiers clapped louder than they did earlier for the Cardinal.

"Hey Jinzan, this old guy ain't as crazy as I thought. He's alright," said Alex.

But Jinzan didn't seem to be listening. He looked like he was pondering something.

"There's something weird about the old guy..." said Jinzan.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's like he's...not really himself," answered Jinzan.

"Dude, it's just you imagining stuff," said Alex.

The King cleared his throat. "Ahem...yes, yes, thank you very much, Cardinal. And now, I have another announcement . Today will be a holiday for all the people in the kingdom, including all of you! You will be free to go out in the town instead of doing your castle duties. After all, this town is safe, and I don't think any danger will come to it today!

The soldiers cheered and shouted joyfully.

"Yes, yes," said the King. "Today is a happy day indeed, and this holiday for all of you was the Cardinal's idea! So, please give a warm round of applause to him!"

And the soldiers did so. They cheered even louder, and some of them even jumped for joy!

Alex was the happiest of the soldiers. "Alright, a holiday! Jinz, I told you that this old guy really isn't crazy! In fact, he's perfectly sane. A genius, even!"

"I still feel bad vibes from him," replied Jinzan.

"Oh, come on now, Jinzan. Don't be such a killjoy. Be happy with me!"

"Alright, man. Yehey..."

"Now," said the King, "This holiday is official as of this very moment!"

A great number of loud cheers and shouts erupted from the army. Valtros and the King then left.

Now Marco spoke up.

"Alright! Erm...what the King said! Now get outta my sight!"

The soldiers turned around and walked out of the grounds. As Jinzan and Alex were walking out, Alex said, "Hey Jinz, I know just how to take your mind off the old guy. Let's meet some hot chicks at the bar!"

"Hot chicks?? Where?" asked Jinzan. He seemed excited. Apparently, Jinzan was one heck of a pervert.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy there, dude. Don't worry, we'll get there in a few minutes. Let's go," said Alex. "But first, let's change into some cleaner armor."

After changing into some new armor(still the exact same design as the ones they were wearing) in their respective rooms in the castle, they went into the city.

The city of Prontera was a large and bustling city filled with houses and establishments everywhere. There were three gates leading to outside the town, positioned at the west, east, and south boundaries of the city. The city square was located in the center of the city. In the middle of the square was a fountain with a statue of a knight holding a lance while riding a horse. The knight was supposed to be a representation of the god Odin.

Jinzan and Alex reached the square. It was teeming with people of all sorts.

"Hey Jinzan! We're almost there!" said Alex.

Jinzan turned to Alex and replied, "Right, let's go! I'm ready to get a hottie-"

"OUCH!"

They were still talking to each other when Jinzan suddenly bumped into someone. It was a young woman. She had brown eyes like Jinzan, raven black hair in a bobcut style, and she wore a female monk's attire with one difference: the stripes on the edges of her white vest (which looked like a cloak at the lower part) and her shorts were blue instead of red. She looked quite beautiful.

The young woman looked down and rubbed her forehead. She turned her head upwards and said, "Hey, watch where you're going, you-"

She stopped speaking. She looked shocked. After a few seconds, she spoke again.

"Jinzan? Is that really you?"

Jinzan looked surprised as well.

"Selia? It is you!"

"Jinzan! It's so nice to see you again!" said the young woman.

"Hey, Jinz, you know her? said Alex.

"Of course! She was my friend from way back when we were kids!"

Jinzan turned to Selia and said, "Wow, you've grown..."

Selia replied, "You also have."

But then Jinzan's eyes fell on her chest.

"Oh yeaaahh..." he muttered, ogling Selia's breasts, which Selia's monk outfit revealed quite a bit.

Unfortunately for Jinzan, Selia noticed him and heard him muttering. She delivered an uppercut to Jinzan's face. The force knocked Jinzan down, after which Selia shouted angrily, "Ugh! You stupid pervert! And I thought you were nice back then!"

Luckily, Alex intervened. "Please excuse Jinzan. He can be a pervert sometimes..."

"Oh! And who might you be?" asked Selia.

"I'm Alex, Jinzan's buddy. Nice to meet you."

He shook hands with her.

"Nice to meet you too," replied Selia. "You know, you're quite nice. I'm sure we'll get along."

"Yeah..."

"Hey! What about me? I thought we were childhood friends!" said Jinzan, who got up, rubbing his chin, which hurt badly. Fortunately, nothing was broken.

"Who'd wanna be friends with you, you...sick, perverted person?" answered Selia. "Cmon, Alex!"

"Right. Let's go eat lunch, shall we, Selia?"

"Yeah!"

The two of them left the square. Jinzan followed behind them.

"Hey, wait up! Are you two my buddies, or what?"

(end of the chapter)

Pls review!

lol...Jinzan is such a perv


	6. Chapter 5: A Friend's Jealousy

I'm gonna put a surprise in this chapter…

**Chapter 5: A Friend's Jealousy **

Jinzan, Alex and Selia arrived at the restaurant. It was lined with square and rectangular tables. The number of chairs for the square tables were 4 (one on each side) and the rectangular tables had 8 chairs (one on both short sides and three for the longer sides). Across the door was a counter, with a menu above the wall behind it.

"Let's get a table!" said Selia. They went to a square table.

"Have a seat," said Alex, pulling a chair.

Jinzan approached the chair. "Thanks, man-"

"NOT YOU!" Alex shouted. "HER!" He pointed to Selia.

"Oh, sorry," said Jinzan.

Selia went to the chair and sat down. "Thank you, Alex. At least there's one person here who's a real gentleman..."

"Hey!" Jinzan protested. "I'm a gentleman too! Like the time when...when...oh crap, I can't think of anything. Dammit, you win."

"Now, Jinzan, do you mind if you could order us some spaghetti?" said Selia.

"Aww, can't you just do it yourself?" replied Jinzan.

"Just do as the lady asks," said Alex. "You don't want me to do what I did to that Gunslinger back then, now do you?"

Jinzan's eyes suddenly widened. He had a terrified expression on his face.

"I'll go get some food," he said, and went to the counter.

"What exactly did you do?' asked Selia.

"About two years back, I encountered a Gunslinger named Yoshiro Kuroya," answered Alex.

"You mean that guy on the 'Wanted for Murder' flyers, along with three other people?"

"Yes," said Alex. "I captured him and brought him in for questioning. But I let him go."

"Why?"

"Well, number one is that he didn't look like a killer to me. Number two, I didn't find him guilty of any crimes. He seemed like an honest and polite person. But as a precaution, I used the infamous 'nipple cripple' technique, as a warning to him in case he might consider committing a real crime. Oh, it was very painful for the guy..."

"No wonder Jinzan looked so scared," said Selia.

"Hey, that reminds me," said Jinzan, who had just appeared holding an order card, which must be returned after the food and drinks had been delivered to the customer or customers who had ordered.

"What is it?" inquired Selia.

"I brought in that Gunslinger's buddy, Senzo Taisen. At first, he looked and acted like some badass punk. But he's actually a swell guy! So I dismissed him." said Jinzan.

"You just released him because he gave you a collection of pictures of naked babes!" exclaimed Alex.

"I can't believe it!" said Selia.

"Don't worry, they were cleared eventually..."

"That's not it! I just can't believe how much of a pervert you are! You mean to say you would let go a criminal in your custody if he gave you a stash of-"

She hesitated. But then she finished the sentence.

"-perverted stuff!"

"But Selia, it's not with me anymore! I lost it to Alex in a game of coin flipping," reasoned Jinzan.

"Yeah..." said Alex. "That stash is mine now. Hehehe...it's mine..."

Selia turned on Alex. "What was that you were saying??"

"Nothing! It's just...I...I-"

A woman's voice interrupted.

"Excuse me, is there a Jinzan here?" she asked. The woman had shoulder-length red hair, was wearing a female blacksmith's garb, and had blue eyes. She was holding a tray with a large bowl of spaghetti on her right hand.

"Here!" replied Jinzan.

"Sir, your order." She handed the bowl to Jinzan with her left hand.

"Alright!" said Jinzan. Seeing that the woman had quite a pretty face and a lovely body, he tried to charm her. "You know, I think I'm in heaven."

The woman was surprised. She asked, "Why?"

"Because you're an angel..."

The woman giggled and blushed.

"What he means is thank you," said Selia.

The woman stopped giggling, but she was still blushing. "Enjoy your meal!" she said. Jinzan then gave her the order card. But just as she was about to leave, Jinzan asked her, "Um...excuse me, but...may I know your name?"

The woman smiled at Jinzan.

"My name is Arianne," said the woman.

"Thank you!" was Jinzan's reply. The woman then left.

Selia and Alex were staring at Jinzan.

"Wow...you actually did it," said Alex, who looked impressed. "For a second there, I thought you blew it with that cheesy pick-up line, but it seemed to have worked! Good job, buddy..."

"Yeah..." replied Jinzan. He didn't seem to be paying attention to Alex. He muttered, "Arianne...so dreamy..."

A hard blow to the back of his head brought him back to reality.

"Aaagh!!" cried Jinzan. The blow was very painful, and he felt a huge lump where he received the blow.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!"

Selia looked very, very angry.

"I SURE WISH I NEVER MET YOU, YOU WOMANIZER!!"

Alex stepped in like he did earlier in the square.

"Hey, Selia, cool down a bit. Jinzan's always been like that. And this is the first time he succeeded in charming a lady! Give him a break."

"Yeah!" added Jinzan.

"GIVE JINZAN A BREAK?! GUYS LIKE HIM DON'T DESERVE ONE!!" retorted Selia.

"Chill, Selia. You have no reason to be angry at Jinzan. Or maybe...I think you're just jealou-"

"I'M NOT!"

"Oh really?" smirked Alex. "Don't deny it. Maybe...you felt something for him when you were kids. Did you?"

Selia's face, which was red with anger, turned into a calm and quite sad face.

"No...of course not." answered Selia. Her tone was softer this time. "Of course not. Jinzan and I...we're just very close friends, that's all."

"I see...anyway, now that you've calmed down, let's eat!" said Alex.

"No, you two eat. I'm not hungry." said Selia. She stood up from her chair.

"Where are you going?" asked Jinzan.

"To get some fresh air..."

Selia then left the restaurant.

Jinzan was staring at the door. "What's gotten into her?"

"Dude...I think she digs you." said Alex. He too was staring at the door.

"Nah..." was Jinzan's answer.

Alex looked at Jinzan. "Well, if you put it that way..."

Their eyes turned to the bowl of spaghetti. They looked at each other.

"IT'S CHOW TIME!!" chorused the two. They then proceeded to devour the pasta.

15 minutes later...

"Ahh, that was some good pasta..." muttered Alex.

"You got that right..." added Jinzan. "Selia really missed out on some great grub. By the way, where is she?"

"Let's go look for her, Jinz."

"Right..."

They walked out of the restaurant. But when they were out the door, Selia suddenly was in front of them. She looked panicky.

"Guys, you better come with me, quick!"

"Why?" asked Jinzan. "What's the rush?"

"It's the castle! A horde of monsters is raiding it!"

"Shit..." cursed Jinzan. "Let's head on over there and defend the fortress!"

They ran as fast as they can towards the castle. But Jinzan was running faster than Selia and Alex. _The castle...I can't let it be harmed. It's my home...it's all the knights' home. Hang on, Knights of Prontera. Your Ace Knight will save the day. I just hope I'm not too late..._

(end of the chapter)

Note: Mentioning Yoshiro and Senzo was Amiel's/amielrox's request to me.

Please review!


	7. Chapter 6: A Hero's Quest Begins

**Chapter 6: A Hero's Quest Begins**

"No…it can't be…"

The trio reached the castle, and they saw that some parts of the castle walls had been damaged.

"We're too late…" muttered Jinzan.

"No we're not!" exclaimed Selia. "Look!"

She pointed to the training grounds, where the three saw an army of knights battling waves of monsters. There were demon-types, undead, and other dangerous fiends among the hordes of monsters that the knights were fighting. But the knights were fighting the monsters bravely, even though the knights knew that they were clearly outnumbered.

"Cmon, Jinz! Let's go join the soldiers!" said Alex.

"Right!"

"Hey, what about me?" asked Selia.

"Stay here," said Jinzan. "It's much safer for you."

"But I want to fight, too! I can help!"

"No, you can't! You'll only be putting your life in danger!"

"Hey Jinzan, I say we let her fight as well." said Alex.

"What?"

"She's a Monk, Jinz. You do know how powerful Monks are, do you?"

Jinzan's eyes widened.

"You're...right, Al. She can help! " Jinzan turned to Selia. "You sure you're up for it?"

"One hundred percent!" replied Selia in an enthusiastic tone.

"Well then, what are we standing around here for? Let's go kick some monster ass!"

The three then headed for the training grounds...

A few minutes later, they reached the training grounds. The soldiers of the kingdom were scattered, with one or two knights in a certain spot fighting a group of monsters.

One particular soldier was being swarmed by a group of Raydrics. They looked like knights, but they had no bodies. Their armor only floated in the air, arranged together as if they were worn by a real knight.

The soldier dropped his sword in fear. He fell down. He already anticipated the swords of the formless knights who were about to slash him...

_CLASH!_

Jinzan arrived and blocked the Raydrics' swords with a thrust of his spear.

"Eat this! Bowling Bash!!"

A wide slashing attack knocked back the group of Raydrics. They managed to get up, but were weakened.

"Shield Boomerang!"

Alex's attack finished off the formless monsters. "Haha! I rule!" he bragged.

"Al, look out!"

A Deviruchi lunged at the back of Alex's head. He turned around, but the little imp-like demon was already in front of him.

"Take this!" shouted Selia, who gave a solid punch to the Deviruchi. The little demon fell to the ground and disappeared.

"Awesome, Selia!" said Alex. Jinzan added, "That was one sweet punch!"

"Thanks!" replied Selia.

"Wait a second...is that a Knuckle Duster you're wearing on your hands?" asked Jinzan.

"Yeah, haven't you noticed? I've been wearing them all day!"

"No wonder your punches hurt so bad..." muttered Jinzan, touching the back of his head, which still hurt from Selia's earlier blow.

Then all of a sudden, the soldiers were staring at the trio. They began shouting stuff.

"Hey, it's Jinzan and Alex!"

"Alright! They're here!"

"We're saved!"

All of the soldiers shouted one triumphant "YEAH!!" then began to fight the monsters with newfound courage and strength.

"Hmm...looks like they're all pepped up!" exclaimed Alex!

"Let's get to work as well!" said Jinzan!

Everyone was now fighting as hard as they could. In about ten minutes, the field was wiped clean of monsters.

"Alright, everyone! We did it! We wiped the floor with all of them!" shouted Jinzan.

The soldiers cheered triumphantly.

"Let's celebrate this victory!" said Jinzan.

"Oh, I think it's a bit too early for that right now," echoed a sinister voice.

The soldiers looked for the origin of the voice, and they found it...

It was Cardinal Valtros. He was standing on top of the castle, but then he teleported and appeared in front of the army and Jinzan's trio.

"Bravo, bravo! I thought you all would never survive the assault, but it seems I was mistaken..." said Valtros calmly.

"It was YOU! I knew there was something fishy about you!" shouted Jinzan, pointing at Valtros.

"What is it, boy? Do you have something to say?"

"YOU gave us a day off just to let our guard down, so you could destroy the castle with those monsters! But it didn't work! We all came here, just in time to mess up your plans!"

"Hahaha..." Valtros was smirking. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Yes, it was I! I unleashed a horde of monsters into the castle, as ordered by the Dark Lord! And soon, this fortress will belong to him, and after that, THE WORLD!!"

"The Dark Lord? I should have known..." said Alex.

"Valtros, you sick psychopath! I am going to END you!!" roared Jinzan. "SPEAR BOOMERANG!!"

The spear flew directly towards Valtros. He grinned evilly.

"Pathetic. Pneuma!!"

A blue aura appeared around him. The spear hit the aura, and immediately flew back towards Jinzan. Valtros was still standing, unhurt and unscathed.

Jinzan caught the spear, and charged at Valtros for another attack. Again, Valtros just stood there.

"Pierce!!" roared Jinzan.

"Kyrie Eleison!"

A barrier appeared around Valtros. The thrust hit the barrier, but did not break through it.

"Damn you!" shouted Jinzan.

"Now it's my turn," said Valtros. He faced his palm towards Jinzan and said, "Lex Aeterna!"

"What the?" said Jinzan. Swords that glowed white materialized above him and headed right through him. Though he wasn't hurt by the skill, he did feel himself getting a bit weaker...

"Now," said Valtros, "Holy Light!!"

A white blast of energy sent Jinzan tumbling backwards.

"That Holy Light skill...it's unnaturally powerful," said Selia. "Not to mention the added effect of Lex Aeterna, which doubles the power of the next source of damage that hits its target..."

"He must have gotten stronger when he joined the Dark Lord," said Alex. "Jinzan, get out of there! You can't win! He's too powerful for you!"

"Agh..." muttered Jinzan. He managed to get up, but he looked severely weakened.

"Hahahaha...it's futile to fight me, boy," sneered Valtros. "You cannot defeat me. But don't worry, I'll be back. And hopefully by then, you'll have gotten stronger..."

He vanished in a flash of light.

"HEY, COME BACK HERE! I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!!" shouted Jinzan. But then, he fell down, unconscious.

Later...

"Huh?"

Jinzan opened his eyes. He was back in his room, lying on his bed. "What...what happened? Where's everyone?"

"Relax, Jinzan," said a female voice.

"A...Arianne?"

"ARRGH! YOU'RE STILL THINKING ABOUT THAT BLACKSMITH WAITRESS, AREN'T YOU?"

Selia's voice startled Jinzan, and he instantly got up.

"Sorry about that..." said Jinzan. "What happened?"

"You fell unconscious."

"Oh..."

"I healed you up," said Selia. "But you still wouldn't stir, and Alex had to drag you back to your room."

"That reminds me...where's Alex?"

"He's at the training field, along with all the other soldiers. The King is there. He has an announcement to make...you better get down there."

"Right..."

He got up and went downstairs. Selia was still in Jinzan's room.

"You're so reckless, Jinzan. I was so afraid. I thought I'd lost you..."

She then left the room and went downstairs as well.

Meanwhile...

In the training field, the soldiers were assembled like they were earlier that morning. Jinzan took his position next to Alex.

"Hey Al, how long was I unconscious?

"About an hour," answered Alex. "You're lucky you got to rest though...we've been waiting here for like 45 minutes already."

"Attention, soldiers!" boomed Marco. "The King is here!"

The King took his place in front of the army. He began to speak.

"Good day, soldiers. I trust that you have all heard, and witnessed, Valtros's treachery. But I tell you, his madness will not stop there. If he has indeed joined the Dark Lord, he will be back, and with stronger forces of evil. I need a few brave people who will set out, find Valtros, and end his madness! Not only that, I also need the others who will be left here to defend what is left of this castle with their very lives! But first, I must ask you, are you all ready?"

The soldiers shouted loudly, "YES SIR!!"

"Good, good!" said the King. "I knew I could count on the brave soldiers of Prontera! Now, who will be leaving on the quest to stop Valtros?"

The soldiers muttered to themselves. They seemed unable to decide on leaving or staying. But then Jinzan stepped forward and proudly said, "I'll do it!"

The soldiers cheered for Jinzan. The King grinned proudly and said, "So, our young Ace Knight is up to the task! Very good! I see that you would do anything for this country! You are a perfect example of true knighthood."

Jinzan smiled with pride.

"Now," said the King, "Anyone else?"

Alex stepped forward as well. "I'll go, too!"

The soldiers cheered for Alex this time.

"Very well, then! I see that we have two people on the quest!" exclaimed the King. "Now, how about one more?"

The soldiers began muttering to themselves again.

"Well?" said the King. "Anyone?"

"I'm going as well!" said a female voice.

It was Selia. She had followed Jinzan to the training field.

"Oh! And who might you be?" asked the King.

"I am Selia, a Monk. Jinzan and Alex are my friends, and I wish to go with them."

"Well...I'll have to ask the two." The King turned to Jinzan and Alex. "Will you two let this young lady go with you?"

Jinzan and Alex smiled.

"Yes!" said Jinzan.

"Definitely!" added Alex.

"Alright then! Yes it is! You may join them!" said the King, facing Selia.

Selia stepped to the spot on Jinzan's right. Alex was on Jinzan's left side, and Jinzan was in the middle.

"Ahem. Yes, yes," said the King. "Jinzan, Alex and Selia, you will have to find Valtros and stop him before he unleashes evil upon the whole world."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" chorused the three.

"You will have to leave at nightfall. We can't let any agents of evil know that we are sending you out. Understand?"

The trio nodded.

"Now, the rest of you will stay here and defend the castle and this kingdom with your very lives. Is that clear?"

The soldiers responded with a loud, "SIR, YES, SIR!"

The King smiled.

"Very good! That is all for today. Dismissed!"

The King then left the grounds.

The soldiers then faced Jinzan's trio.

"Wow, a grand quest!"

"You're gonna see all kinds of stuff!"

"It's so awesome! Maybe someday I'll go on a quest, too!"

But then one soldier stepped up to Jinzan.

"Hey."

It was Marco. He was looking Jinzan directly in the face.

"I only got one thing to say to you."

"Um...what is it?" asked Jinzan, who was a bit intimidated.

But Marco's reply surprised Jinzan.

"Don't slack off, you got that?"

Marco grinned and held out a hand. Jinzan stared at it for a while, then looked at Marco, grinned back and said, "Alright."

They both shook hands. Everyone cheered happily.

Later that night...

"You ready, Jinz?" asked Alex.

"Yeah, I'm ready...how about you, Al?"

"Ready..."

"Alright...you ready, Selia?" asked Jinzan.

"I'm ready too." replied Selia.

"Good. Let's go!"

They walked out of the south gate. When they were out of the city, Jinzan said, "Wait."

"What is it, Jinz?" asked Alex.

"I don't know when we'll come back...or if we'll ever come back."

"Don't worry, Jinzan," reassured Selia. "No matter what happens, we can do this."

Jinzan smiled. He looked back at the city for a while, but then he turned to his friends and said, "You're right. Let's go! We've got a world to save."

(end of the chapter)

This is probably the longest chapter I've written so far...

Note: I changed Brandish Spear to Bowling Bash in Chapter 3. Seems a Knight can't use Brandish Spear without riding a Pecopeco. Sorry about the earlier mistake!


	8. Chapter 7: The Tae Kwon Thief

**Chapter 7: The "Tae Kwon Thief"**

A few days later…

The trio arrived in the town of Payon. It was located within the forest southeast of Prontera and Izlude. They stopped by a nearby tree.

"Finally, a town!" groaned Jinzan. He, Alex and Selia had been walking for three days straight, only stopping to set up camp for the night.

"Good thing, too," said Alex. "We're almost running out of food and water. Jinzan, stay here and guard our stuff while me and Selia get some supplies."

"What? Why do I get stuck here?"

"Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it," said Selia.

"Alright, fine..."

Alex and Selia walked off and left Jinzan alone with all of their stuff.

"Aww man..." muttered Jinzan. "Waiting here is boring...well, since I'm stuck here anyway, I guess I'll go look at our inventory."

He glanced at what they bought along with them. The first thing he saw was a lance, his own weapon. The second thing he saw was a sword which has two axe-like blades beneath its tip, which made the blade of the sword look like a cross, and a shield with a white cross imprinted upon it. _The Holy Avenger and Holy Guard. Alex's most trusted buddies in battle, _he thought. To the right of the sword and shield was a bag. _Our food, water and supplies is supposed to be stored inside it._

But then he saw something sticking out from behind the shield. "Huh? What's this?"

He took a closer look, and saw that it was a book. There were words written in a piece of paper that was pasted on the front cover. It read, "Property of Alex: Do Not Open."

"Wait a minute...is this..."

He opened the book. And to his delight, he found pictures of beautiful nude women!

"I knew it!" said Jinzan happily. "He compiled the pictures of nude babes from the stash he won from me and put them in here! He just couldn't resist bringing this, could he? Oh, this is just too good..."

He began looking for any sign that he was being watched. To his relief, he found that he was alone in that spot.

"Yes! No one's watching! But before I enjoy this collection, I think I'll grab a bit from our stored food first..."

But when he looked at the spot where the supplies bag was, the bag was gone. In shock, Jinzan dropped the book he was holding.

"Oh no... I think someone stole the bag! Alex and Selia are gonna kill me if they found out it was gone..."

He tried to pick up the book, but he saw that it was gone as well!

"NO! THE BOOK!!"

He looked around, trying to find someone with the bag and book. And then he found his target. A young boy was running off, carrying a bag and holding a book.

"GRR...NOBODY STEALS A NUDE BABES COLLECTION FROM ME AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!!"

He grabbed his lance and ran after the boy.

Meanwhile...

Alex and Selia were walking back towards the tree, with Alex holding a bag filled with red potions and water bottles and Selia holding a basket full of food.

But when they reached the tree...

"Oh no!" gasped Selia. "Our supplies...they're gone!"

"Jinzan's lance is gone as well!" said Alex.

"Maybe there's a thief who stole our supplies, and Jinzan ran after the thief!"

"Yeah...only my sword and shield are here," said Alex. He looked at the back of the shield and muttered, "Oh shit..."

"Why?" asked Selia.

"Someone took my stash of-"

"YOUR STASH OF WHAT?"

"-my stash of weapon pictures! Ehehehe..."

"Hmm...anyway, let's follow Jinzan!"

"How the heck are we gonna do that?" asked Alex. "We don't even know which way he went!"

"No problem!" said Selia. She closed her eyes and said, "Call Spirits!"

She glowed with an aura of light, and a sphere of holy energy appeared in front of her. The aura disappeared.

"My little buddy can help us!" said Selia. Her eyes were still closed.

"Uh...exactly how?"

"Just watch the sphere..."

The sphere moved around, as if trying to find something or someone. It stopped at a certain point west of the tree and for a second, an image of Jinzan's face flashed through the sphere.

Selia opened her eyes and said, "He went that way! Follow the sphere!"

The sphere took off to the left of the tree, and continued to move left at a fast speed.

Alex grabbed his sword and shield, gave the bag to Selia and ran after the sphere with Selia beside him. Alex asked, "How did you do that?"

"Oh, it's just a little trick I developed during my Monk training. I learned to use intense focus to find stuff using a Spirit Sphere!"

"Really? That's quite neat!" replied Alex, amazed at Selia's abilities.

"Yeah, I'm awesome like that..." bragged Selia.

The two were still running after the sphere.

At the same moment...

"GIVE THE BOOK BACK! GIVE IT TO ME!"

Jinzan was in hot pursuit of the boy who stole the book and the supplies bag. After a few minutes of running, Jinzan finally cornered the kid.

"I got you now!" said Jinzan. He finally got a closer look at the boy. The boy was wearing a uniform used for martial arts.

"A Tae Kwon Kid?" muttered Jinzan in surprise. It really was a Tae Kwon Kid, but the main color of the uniform was black, not white.

"But I thought people like you are being trained to discipline yourselves!" said Jinzan. "Why steal?"

"Please, mister...don't hurt me! I'm just a poor, innocent child..." said the boy

Jinzan looked at the boy with pity...

In that instant, the boy ran towards Jinzan with such speed, and delivered a powerful kick to Jinzan's face!

"Ouch!" said Jinzan. He dropped to his knees in pain.

"Haha! said the boy. He jumped high, and landed behind Jinzan. "See ya later, sucker!"

He ran off, but then...

"Not so fast, kid."

Alex had arrived on the scene. Selia came a few seconds after, along with the Spirit Sphere they used to track down Jinzan.

"Absorb Spirits!" said Selia, and the Spirit Sphere went back into her body. She felt slightly more energetic.

"Oh crap," cursed the boy. He was surrounded.

"Kid, I'd like you to meet...my buddies!" said Jinzan, who got up and was now standing over the boy.

"Um...here's your bag back, mister! Take the book back too!"

The kid handed the book and bag to Jinzan.

"Jinzan, give me the book," said Alex.

"Oh, alright..." Jinzan tossed the book to Alex, who caught it.

"What's that book all about?" asked Selia, but Alex replied, "Nothing! It's none of your business!"

"Fine..." said Selia. She turned to the boy. "Anyway, why'd you try to steal our stuff?"

"I...The reason is... I need some excitement! I need some fun! I need to -"

"That's quite enough, young one," interrupted a male voice.

A man arrived on the scene. He looked about 50 years old. He was also wearing a martial artist's garb, and it was colored white.

"Master!" gasped the boy.

"You're this kid's master?" asked Alex.

"Yes. I apologize for my student's behavior. He's quite hard to control, you know," replied the man.

"Oh, it's alright, sir," said Selia. "We got our stuff back anyway."

"I see...maybe I could invite you to come to my house. Maybe we could talk more there."

"Well...since we got nothing better to do..." said Jinzan.

"Very well then," said the man. "Follow me."

The old man walked off with the boy in tow. Jinzan, Alex and Selia followed the man. They had a feeling that the old man had something to say to them...

(end of chapter)


	9. Chapter 8: Into the Payon Cave

**Chapter 8: Into the Payon Cave**

At a house in Payon...

"Here, have some tea."

The old man was carrying a tray with five cups of hot tea. He sat down on the floor, laying the tray down in front of him. Jinzan, Selia and Alex, who were seated side by side on the floor, just across the old man, grabbed three cups on the tray. The boy that the trio met earlier was seated next to the master, and he took a cup as well.

"Ah, that feels good," said Alex after taking a sip of the hot tea.

"This is quite nice," added Selia.

But Jinzan's groan said otherwise...

"Oww! Hot, hot, hot..."

"But Jinz, I thought you liked hot stuff!" smirked Alex.

"I like the 'hot babes' kind of hot, but not the 'hot drink' kind!"

"Jinzan, how is that Blacksmith gonna like you if you can't even withstand a hot cup of tea?" teased Selia.

Jinzan suddenly gulped down all of the hot tea in his cup!

"Oh man," muttered Alex. "3...2...1..."

"AHHHH!!" screamed Jinzan.

"And the hot tea gets to work," said Alex.

"It burns! IT BURNS!!"

"He's gonna be feeling that one for a while," said Alex. He turned to the old man. "Anyway, exactly why did your student take our belongings?"

"Ohohoho!" the old man laughed.

"Why are you laughing, sir?" asked Selia.

"This is the fifth time he's failed a test of discipline..."

"A test of discipline?" asked Jinzan, who apparently had recovered from the burning sensation of the tea.

"Yes. I am training my students in two aspects. The first is the physical aspect. He has no problem with that, since he has great strength for such a young person."

"You got that right..." muttered Jinzan, who remembered the kick to his face earlier.

"But as for the second aspect, which is discipline and good morals, he does not exert much effort in it. He has failed every test in that aspect. Because of that, he is the only student that I have now. All the others have graduated and have moved on."

"But Master, I only took the bag because I was hungry!" protested the boy. "You've been starving me for a day already!"

"I am not starving you," said the old man. "I am only giving you a lesson in self-control..."

"Self-control my ass! I'm hungry, and I need food!"

"You could have just asked..." said Jinzan.

"Oh...I'm sorry," said the boy. "It's just...I was so hungry..."

"Hey, it's alright," said Jinzan. "No harm done...except to my face..."

"Hehe...well, I admit that was pretty funny!"

"Not for me..." Jinzan muttered. "By the way, what's your name, kid?" he asked.

"I'm Hachiro. What's yours?"

"My name's Jinzan, and these are my buddies Alex and Selia," said Jinzan.

"Your name is also the name of my all-time favorite hero!" said Hachiro.

"Who is he?"

"Jinzan Kiryoku!"

Jinzan's face looked shocked. He did not even know that word of his exploits spread to other cities. Then he said, "You're looking at him!"

Hachiro was staring at Jinzan. "Wait a minute...if you're really him, you'd have a special logo on your armor."

"You mean this?"

Jinzan sat up straight and put down his cup, so that the logo on his armor would be seen.

Hachiro opened his mouth in awe. He seemed lost for words. Finally he said, "You...you're...really him! The Ace Knight!"

"Yeah, that's me," said Jinzan in a cool manner.

"I was in Prontera once, and I heard that you fought off a group of thugs!"

"Oh, you mean the Black Tiger Gang. Yeah, I put a stop to them."

"Whoa, you're so cool!" said Hachiro, amazed. "I really look up to you, Mr. Jinzan!"

Jinzan leaned towards his buddies and whispered, "Guys, you've got to help me! If he keeps on telling me about my exploits, I'm never gonna get some rest!"

Selia suggested, "Why don't you just tell him that you don't like to be idolized that much?"

Alex also suggested, "How about you punch him till he begs for mercy?"

"I think I'll go with the telling..." said Jinzan. "He's just a kid, after all."

Jinzan turned to Hachiro and said, "Listen, Hachiro, I really don't like being idolized that much. Even though I'm the Ace Knight, I'm a regular guy too."

Hachiro gave Jinzan a nod and said, "Well, the least I can do is see how you fight."

"Hmm...maybe I could give you a demonstration later..."

Suddenly an man rushed in the house. He was an Archer, and he seemed worried.

"Master Takahiro...there are undead coming out of the Payon Cave!"

"I see," said the old man. "Hrm...what to do..."

"Hey, maybe Mr. Jinzan and his buddies can help!" said Hachiro.

"He's right!' said Jinzan.

But then Alex said, "Whoa, Jinzan. Aren't we supposed to be on a mission?"

"Guys, come on!" Jinzan insisted. "Innocent lives could be in danger!"

"Jinzan's right, Alex. We have to help the townspeople!" said Selia.

"Alright," said Alex. "Since we're here anyway, let's help them fight the undead!"

"Wait! I'm coming with you guys!" said Hachiro.

"You're just a kid!" said Alex. "You can't handle it yet!"

Jinzan said, "I think he can handle it. My aching face thinks so, too."

"Thanks, Mr. Jinzan!" said Hachiro. "You can show me your techniques when we fight those undead!"

"But Hachiro, what about your master?" asked Selia.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine! I've escaped from him many times already!" replied Hachiro.

"If you say so..."

The four left the house. Back inside, the Archer told Takahiro, "Master, it seems your guests have gone off-"

"-and the boy went with them," said Takahiro.

"How did you know?"

"I can sense them. I know who enters and leaves this house, even when I am not looking. Ohohoho...I can't even count how many times I allowed Hachiro to just run off..."

"Will they be alright?" asked the Archer.

"Oh, they'll be just fine..."

"How can you say so?"

"I know so."

Meanwhile...

Jinzan, Alex, Selia and Hachiro reached the Payon Cave. The ground behind them was littered with rotten corpses and bones.

"Those Skeletons and Zombies were freakin' easy!" exclaimed Hachiro.

"There's more undead in the cave," said Jinzan. "Let's go in."

"Right! By the way, Mr. Jinzan, your fighting style with the spear is awesome! Can you show me more of your techniques?"

"Yes I can, but please, please don't call me Mr. Jinzan. I don't like too much formality."

"Okay, Mr. Jinzan!"

"Sigh..."

"Oh, sorry..."

They entered the cave. Inside, they were welcomed by more zombies.

"Bowling Bash!"

"Tornado Kick!"

Jinzan and Hachiro cleared half of the zombies in their way with their skills, while Alex and Selia cleared the other half by using Heal on the zombies.

They went further in. More skeletons blocked their way, as well as human-looking undead like Bonguns, Munaks, and Sohees. Still, the four managed to fight their way past the hordes of undead, all the way down to the last level, where...

"Um, guys, I think we should get outta here," said Selia.

"Not a chance!" replied Jinzan, who was smirking. "We're having fun, right Hachiro?"

But Hachiro looked frightened. "S-she's right, J-Jinzan. We should leave..."

"Aww man, am I the only one here who's having fun now?"

"Well, I hate to spoil your fun, Jinzan, but...look behind you!" said Alex.

Jinzan, who was at the front of the party, turned around. At one glance, he knew why his buddies looked terrified.

A creature was walking towards them. It looked like a tall, young teenage girl, but her short yellow hair was connected to what seemed like a helmet she wore in the shape of a fox's head. She also had fur on her arms, hands, feet and the lower part of her legs, making them look like paws. She had a fox's tail, and she only wore a cloth that covered her breasts. She carried a stick with a large bell on one end. A group of foxes accompanied her, with nine tails each.

"Oh damn," said Jinzan. "You gotta be kidding me...it's the Moonlight Flower!"

The four readied themselves. They knew this was going to be a tough fight...

(end of chapter)

Here's a bit of trivia:

Master Takahiro had a total of eight students. They were all orphans, and Takahiro treated them like his own sons. Since each of them was found without a name, they were named by Takahiro according to the order in which they were found. Hachiro was the youngest of these orphans, and his name comes from the Japanese words "hachi"(eight) and "rou"(son), which was traditionally a name given to the eighth son. Takahiro named him as such because he was the eighth to be found.


	10. Chapter 9: Leaving the Village

**Chapter 9: Leaving the Village**

"Let's go!"

Jinzan gave the signal for him and his teammates to attack. Alex made the first move.

"Holy Cross!"

The Moonlight Flower dodged the projectile with ease.

"Now it's my turn!" exclaimed Selia. "Call Spirits!"

One Spirit Sphere appeared in front of her.

"Guys, buy me some time to call some more spheres!" said Selia.

Jinzan, Alex and Hachiro nodded.

Now Hachiro leaped towards the Moonlight.

"Flying Kick!"

The attack hit, but it only made the Moonlight stagger. She then hit Hachiro with the bell on the stick she held. The impact sent Hachiro tumbling backwards. He managed to get up.

"Aww, don't you want to play with me anymore?" asked the Moonlight. She giggled and said, "Come, my friends! Let's play some more with these humans!"

More Nine Tails suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Damn...more of these foxes..." muttered Jinzan.

"Selia! You done over there?" asked Hachiro.

"Yep, I'm done!" replied Selia. There were now 5 spheres circling around her. "Stand back, everyone!"

She readied herself...

"Fury!!"

All the Spirit Spheres around her suddenly exploded...into pure spiritual energy that engulfed her. But the Spirit Spheres were still there. Power was now flowing within her. She closed her eyes and clenched her right fist. In that moment, the spheres and the aura of energy around her suddenly disappeared, but all of her power and energy was now concentrated on her right fist!

"Now, get ready!" she said. She then dashed towards the Moonlight.

"ASURA STRIKE!!"

Her right fist dealt a solid blow to the Moonlight. In that instant...

_BOOM!!_

The ground trembled, a sudden gust of wind engulfed the area, and energy suddenly flowed throughout the cave level in which they were in. Alex felt the sudden flow of energy and said, "A Monk's ultimate power...the power to put all of your energy and unleash it in one deadly strike...the Asura Strike."

"Yeah...I've heard how powerful it is, but I've never seen it before...until now," said Jinzan.

The Moonlight was lying unconscious on the cave ground at the opposite end, away from the four. It seemed that Selia's Asura Strike had hit her really hard, hard enough to send her right across the cave floor and knock her out. Then all of her summoned foxes suddenly ran away. However, Selia...

"Ngh...that really took a lot out of me..."

Selia was now slumped down on the ground. The Asura Strike drained her of all her magic power, and she would not be able to regenerate her energy for a while.

"You alright, Selia?" asked Jinzan.

"Yeah...I'm fine..."

"That's a relief..." said Alex. "Is the Moonlight down?"

"I think so..."

"Alright, let's get outta here!" said Hachiro.

"Wait..." muttered Selia. She walked over to the Moonlight and put a necklace on the fox-girl's neck. The necklace glowed with light for a few seconds, then the necklace suddenly disappeared. "The Moonlight Flower is a wild spirit. She's very child-like. The reason why she sent all those undead to attack is because she's bored and needs entertainment. She did a bad thing out of want for fun, kind of like a kid I just met..."

Hachiro grinned.

"Anyway, I used that necklace to calm her down. It's a special necklace I made that soothes the spirit of its wearer permanently. Now she's completely calm, and she won't harm anyone again," said Selia.

"Thank goodness for that," said Jinzan. "Cmon, let's get out of the cave."

About 20 minutes later, in Master Takahiro's house...

"Well done. The four of you saved the town from being overrun by undead."

"Aww, it was nothing, Master!" exclaimed Hachiro proudly.

"Hachiro, don't be too proud of yourself. Too much arrogance is a bad thing," said Takahiro. He turned to Jinzan. "Now, I assume that you and your two friends are on a quest, right?"

Jinzan looked puzzled. "How did you know?"

"I can't tell you that. It's a secret only I should know about."

"Okay..."

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" asked Jinzan.

"If you are indeed on a journey, I want you to take Hachiro with you."

"What? Take the boy with us?"

"Yes. I have nothing more to teach him. He has learned everything he needs to know from me."

"What?" said Hachiro, surprised. "But Master, the test of discipline and good morals...I didn't pass it!"

"You already have. I knew you had a good and brave heart since the day I took you in. And as for discipline, well, you do not need too much of it. Your youthful recklessness is what defines you, and you do not need to discard it."

"Master...thank you so much..." said Hachiro. He had a smile on his face. "Jinzan...Alex...Selia...thank you for being my friends. I promise, I won't disappoint you! I'll help on your quest in any way I can."

"Thanks, Hachiro," said Jinzan. He turned to Takahiro and said, "Master Takahiro, I'll do it! I'll take Hachiro with us."

"Thank you, Jinzan."

"Jinzan, we should be going," said Selia.

"Alright," replied Jinzan. He, Alex, Hachiro and Selia said their goodbyes to Master Takahiro and left the house. Once outside, Jinzan asked, "So, where to next?"

Alex replied, "Let's head for Alberta. The merchants there are well-informed. They may know something about Valtros."

"Alright then! To Alberta!"

The four left Payon and headed south.

Meanwhile...

Back in Prontera Castle, in the king's quarters...

King Tristan could not sleep. He wondered about how the trio that he sent was doing. But as he was wondering, he heard a noise.

"Eh?" he looked around. "Oh...it's just the wind."

He got out of bed and went over to the balcony connected to his room. He stared down at the city, the kingdom he wanted to protect at all costs. He could not believe that Valtros, his most trusted friend, would betray the kingdom. He could not believe that such a holy man like Valtros could be tempted by the Dark Lord. Pushing away all other doubts, he promised himself that he would not let the kingdom fall into the hands of Valtros and the Dark Lord. Contented with that promise he made, he turned around and entered his room.

But what greeted him in there was an unfriendly sight...

"Valtros!"

Valtros was standing there with an evil grin on his face. "Hello, sire. It's nice to see you again..."

"You will not succeed in your evil plans, Valtros!" said the king. "Guards!!"

But no one answered his call. Suddenly, two knights materialized in front of him, and they had an aura of darkness about them.

"Oh, were you looking for these?" sneered Valtros.

"You...what have you done?"

"Hahaha... It's over, Your Majesty! The Dark Lord will soon rule all, and neither you nor anyone can stop him! But don't worry...I will give you a new life under his rule. Now," he faced his palm towards the king, "Serve your new master!"

The king felt himself getting dizzy, and after a few seconds he fell down and lost consciousness.

"Hahaha...now, rise up, Your Majesty!" said Valtros.

The king stood up.

"Now tell me, who do you serve?" asked Valtros.

The king replied, "I serve only the Dark Lord..."

"Yes, that is correct!" exclaimed Valtros. "Hahaha...the kingdom will now belong to the Dark Lord. And you will be his tool in controlling it."

"Yes...for the Dark Lord..."

Valtros grinned evilly. "Excellent."

(end of chapter)

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Don't worry, I'll try to improve my writing skills as much as I can.


	11. Chapter 10: The Blacksmith Waitress

**Chapter 10: The Blacksmith Waitress**

"Hey, did you hear? King Tristan has blocked all the entrances of Prontera to other people!"

"Sounds to me like they're going to declare war..."

Rumors and other news reaches the port town of Alberta very quickly. This is because Alberta was a haven for all kinds of traders and merchants, and so the merchants not only bring back goods from their trips across the land, but they also bring with them news and gossip about the latest events that have happened in Rune-Midgard.

Jinzan and his companions arrived in Alberta, and the first thing they heard was lots of people talking to each other. The people seemed to be discussing only one topic, and the four travelers headed over to a group of merchants to find out more.

"What's the news?" asked Alex.

One merchant replied, "It seems that no one can enter Prontera anymore. The King has closed all of the city's gates."

"Now why would the King do that?" said Selia.

"I don't know. All I know is he's been acting strange lately. I mean, why would he cut off Prontera from the rest of Rune-Midgard?"

Jinzan told his companions, "Hey guys, I think I got an idea why."

Alex, Selia and Hachiro walked over to Jinzan.

"Okay, I got a theory," said Jinzan. "I think Valtros must have gotten to the King."

"Hmm...you may be right," said Alex. "We should steer clear of Prontera for a while."

Jinzan, Selia and Hachiro nodded.

"While we're here, we should try to find out more," said Selia. "I'll go ask the other people here. You guys can do whatever you want. But let's meet here again in an 20 minutes."

Then she left off.

"Maybe I'll get a drink from the pub," said Jinzan. "What are you gonna do, Al?"

"I'll go check out the stalls. Those merchants may have some nice gear."

"I'll go with Alex!" said Hachiro.

"Alright. See you two later!" said Jinzan.

Alex and Hachiro walked over to the market area of the town, while Jinzan walked over to a nearby building. Inside the building, which looked like a typical pub, Jinzan walked up to the counter.

"Hey bartender, I'd like a glass of ice-cold beer," said Jinzan.

"Same thing here," said a woman beside him. It sounded quite familiar...

"Sure thing," answered the bartender. He then got a jug of beer on the counter table and poured it into two glasses. Jinzan took one glass, and the woman took the other. Jinzan turned to the woman, who was not looking at him.

"You seem...familiar. Have we met before?"

The woman turned her head to Jinzan, and Jinzan's question was instantly answered. It was Arianne, the blacksmith waitress in the restaurant back in Prontera! They really had met before!

"Oh!" exclaimed Arianne in surprise. "You're Jinzan, that guy from the restaurant!"

"And you're Arianne, that oh-so-heavenly girl..." muttered Jinzan, who was staring at Arianne with a dreamy look on his face.

"Um, pardon?"

Jinzan instantly came to his senses. _Oh man, I can't stare at her like that! I've got to keep my cool,_ he thought. Wanting to start a conversation with Arianne, Jinzan said, "So, why are you here? I thought you worked in Prontera!"

"Yes, I did, but when the monster attack came, I immediately left the city," replied Arianne.

"Why? You got scared?" asked Jinzan.

"Not really, it's just that I thought the monster horde would wreck the city. But enough of that. Why are you here?"

"Well, I'm on a mission from the king," said Jinzan. "I've got to find a madman named Valtros and stop him."

"Sounds exciting!" said Arianne.

"Yeah..."

They then began drinking their glasses of beer. All of a sudden, a large man tapped Arianne on the back.

"Hey there, little missy," said the man. "You're quite hot. You wanna go out and have some fun?"

"Get lost, you creep," replied Arianne.

"Aww, cmon baby, don't get mad..."

"She told you to GET LOST!!" shouted Jinzan. All of the people in the pub suddenly gasped.

The man suddenly turned to Jinzan. The man was huge, and he towered over the knight.

"You got a problem with me, you little wimp?" said the man, who was trying to intimidate Jinzan. Jinzan answered back, "So what if I've got a problem with you? Do I look like I care?"

All of the other customers in the pub except Arianne shouted, "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

"Alright, wimp. You're going to get the beating of a lifetime!" said the man. He then took Jinzan by the neck and threw Jinzan over to a wall. Jinzan slammed into the wall hard, but got up, took out his lance and said, "That's it! NOBODY messes with the Ace Knight of Prontera! You're going dow-"

"HOLD IT!"

Arianne suddenly stood in front of Jinzan. She was facing the large man.

"I'll take you on!" she exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" said a shocked Jinzan. "But you could get hurt! Leave this to me. I can trash him in half a minute!"

"I know you can, but that guy was rude to me. I'll deal with him!"

Arianne went over to a weapon rack nearby and grabbed a wooden club.

"Now," she turned to the large man, "Let's do this!"

The man stared at the club for a few seconds, and then laughed loudly. "Hahaha! What are you gonna do with that? Beat me to death? Missy, I've been working out 12 hours straight everyday, ever since i was a kid! Do you really think you can topple me with THAT?"

Arianne only grinned.

"Watch me. HAMMERFALL!"

She ran over to the man and smashed the ground in front of him with the club she was holding. A small shockwave occurred, which stunned the man.

"Now...take this!"

She swung the club...

_WHACK!_

"AAAAAAGH!!"

The man roared in pain. He dropped to his knees.

"Oh crap..." said the man. "Not...down...there... It hurts...so much..." He fell down flat on his face and did not stir anymore.

Jinzan stared at Arianne in awe. His jaw dropped.

"Holy crap..."

Arianne smiled at Jinzan.

"Don't be surprised. I can fight too, you know!"

Jinzan said, "But that guy... I feel sorry for him. A hit _down there..._that's gotta hurt real bad."

"Ah, don't worry Jinzan. He'll be alright. But I can't say the same for his _you-know-what..."_

The two went back to their glasses of beer and drank. As Jinzan was drinking, he thought, _Arianne... She's hot and gorgeous, has an awesome body, but still sweet and kind. Not to mention the fact that she can fight well! Maybe she's the right one for me... Ah, what the heck! It's still too early to be thinking about that. I still don't know a lot about her...yet._

Arianne then said, "Um, Jinzan? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure! What is it, Arianne?"

"Maybe...I could join you on your travels?"

Jinzan replied, "No problem! Let's go to my buddies and inform them. Then you're all set!"

"Thanks..."

After leaving their glasses half empty, they headed out of the pub. They walked back to the spot where Jinzan would meet up again with Selia and the others.

One minute later...

Selia, Alex and Hachiro arrived at the meeting spot simultaneously.

"Hey, Jinzan!" said Selia. "Glad to see you came here early. Who's this with you?"

"You don't remember? She's the waitress from the restaurant in Prontera!"

"Oh, that's right!" said Alex. "I remember!" He turned to the female blacksmith beside Jinzan and said, "Your name's Arianne, isn't it?"

Arianne replied, "Yes!"

"What's _she _doing here, Jinzan?" asked Selia.

"She's coming with us on our trip! Is it alright with you guys?"

"Okay," said Alex.

"No prob," answered Hachiro.

But Selia begged to differ.

"No! She can't come!"

"Why not?" asked Jinzan.

"Because...I...um..."

Alex whispered in Selia's ear, "Beacuse you're jealous."

Selia whispered back, "No, I am not!"

"Then prove it," said Alex, still whispering. "Let her come along with us."

"I guess..."

Selia then turned to Arianne and said, "Okay, you can join our quest."

"Thank you," replied Arianne.

"It's settled then!" said Jinzan happily. Facing Arianne, he said, "Okay, since you already know Alex and Selia, I'll just introduce one person to you. Arianne, meet Hachiro."

Arianne faced Hachiro and said, "It's nice to meet you, Hachiro."

The young Tae Kwon Kid responded back, "Hey, nice to meet you too, Arianne!"

Selia then spoke up. "Alright, I think we should get some rest first. We'll meet here again tomorrow morning and leave right away."

"I'll rest at my house. You wanna come see it?" asked Arianne.

"Um, no thanks," replied Selia.

"Okay. See you guys tomorrow!"

Arianne then left the scene.

Selia then said, "Alright, guys, I got us a room at an inn. Let's go!"

The four then walked towards a nearby inn, with Selia in front and Jinzan, Alex and Hachiro in the back. Hachiro then said to Jinzan, "Whoa, Jinzan, you scored big time with that girl!"

"Oh yeah, Jinzan's an expert when it comes to hot chicks," said Alex.

"Oh, come on guys. I'm not an expert. I'm THE expert!" bragged Jinzan.

"Ha! Looks like someone's head is full of air today," said Alex.

The three then laughed and continued to follow Selia. The four of them entered the inn.

The next morning...

Jinzan, Alex, Selia and Hachiro were standing again in their meeting spot.

"Hey, guys!"

It was Arianne. Her outfit still looked the same, except for her scarf which was now colored orange.

"Okay, Arianne. You ready?" asked Jinzan.

"Yep, I'm prepared!" replied Arianne. She took out a heavy-looking Two-Handed Axe.

"Well then, let's go!" said Selia. "Let's head for Morroc. One merchant here says that he saw Valtros at Morroc a few days ago. He could still be there."

"But it's very far from here!" exclaimed Hachiro.

"That won't be a problem. I've been there before, about 3 years ago when I was still training as an Acolyte. I can warp us there."

Selia took out a Blue Gemstone from her pocket and said, "I've been saving this for long distance travel. I only got a few of these. Now, Warp Portal!"

She threw the gemstone to the ground. The gem did not shatter into pieces, but disappeared in a flash of light. A portal suddenly emerged from the spot where the gem was thrown.

"Alright, ladies first!" said Alex.

Selia and Arianne stepped into the portal and vanished. Jinzan, Alex and Hachiro followed after the two girls.

A moment later...

The five were standing in sand.

"Did it work?" asked Jinzan. "Are we here?"

"It did! We're at the south entrance of the town," answered Selia. "Cmon!"

They then entered Morroc, the town situated in the middle of the Sograt Desert.

(end of chapter)

I really feel sorry for that guy who tried to hit on Arianne...


	12. Chapter 11: Son of Bladeheart

**Chapter 11: Son of Bladeheart**

But what they saw past the town entrance was not a town. It looked much more like ruins. The building and houses were reduced to rubble, and not a person was in sight.

"This isn't the Morroc I remembered..." said Selia.

Then they saw a man kneeling down in front of a destroyed house.

"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but...what happened?" asked Jinzan.

"The Tri-Night Guild...they pillaged and destroyed the town," said the man. "The townspeople were able to flee, thanks to the help of the guards, but my wife and three children..."

The man then began to cry.

"What is this Tri-Night Guild?" asked Alex.

"They're a guild of Rogues who cause nothing but trouble. Their guild name comes from the fact that they attack the town only on three consecutive nights every year. However, the first night of their attacks every year is constantly changing. The town's soldiers have always been able to fend them off, until this year... "

"Don't worry," said Alex. "We'll find them and kill them for you!"

"Whoa, Al!" said Jinzan. "Shouldn't we think about this first? I mean, if they destroyed the town, then they must be really powerful."

"I DON'T CARE HOW POWERFUL THEY ARE!" shouted Alex. He seemed unusually angry. "They took the lives of this man's loved ones, and they should pay for that act with their own!!"

"But Alex, we don't know where they are! We don't have any leads!" said Arianne.

"I have an idea," said Selia. She then asked the man, "Sir, when did they start the attack?"

"Two nights ago..."

"Okay, thanks!"

"Wait a minute, Selia," said Hachiro. "You're not planning to wait for those guys here, are you?"

"You read my mind!" exclaimed Selia.

"If we're going to wait for them, then we'll have to camp out here," said Alex.

The four agreed on it, and so they decide to camp in the ruined town.

Later that day, right after sundown...

Jinzan and Alex were trying to light a fire, while the others watched. After a minute, it was done.

"Okay, it's done!" said Jinzan.

"Yeah," said Alex.

"Hey, Al, what's up with you? You haven't been talking much since we set up camp. Something wrong?"

"No..." answered Alex. "Sigh... I think I'm gonna get a bit of shuteye first. Wake me up if there's a problem."

He then went about six feet away from his companions. He laid down on the ground and closed his eyes.

An hour later...

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

Alex woke up, screaming. He looked terrified. Jinzan and the others rushed over to him.

"Alex, what's wrong?" asked Selia.

"Mom... Dad... Julia... I failed... I'm sorry..."

"I think he just dreamed about a horrible memory," said Arianne.

"Cmon, Alex. I'll give you some water," said Selia. "Then maybe you could tell us what's bothering you."

A few minutes later, the five companions were huddled around the fire that Jinzan and Alex made.

"Okay, Al. Tell us what's wrong," said Jinzan.

"Alright," said Alex. "I remember... It was 11 years ago...back when I was at the age of 10..."

He did remember. In fact, the memory played like a movie inside his head, even as he was describing it to his friends...

_It was nighttime in the city of Juno. It was raining hard. I was in my room when I heard my father calling me. _

_"Cmon, Alex! We have to leave now!"_

_"Wait a minute, Dad!"_

_I was still sorting out my stuff into a bag, and then...THEY came._

_"Come out, Bladeheart! We know you're here! We want some payback for putting us in the slammer!"_

_It was a group of thugs that Dad put in jail. Dad was a well-known Crusader who put criminals in jail, and these guys who broke into our house held a grudge on Dad. Not long afterward, I heard the clashing of swords. I hid myself under a table in my room, hoping that the battle would soon end, and Dad would come to my room to pick me up. But then, I heard Dad cry out in pain! I became terrified. What if Dad had really... No, I told myself, he can't die! He's a powerful warrior!_

_And then I heard my mother call, "Alex, come down here! We've got to get out of-AAAAAAAGH!!"_

_I became even more afraid. I decided to leave the room to check if everything was alright. But when I went down the stairs..._

_"No... This can't be happening..."_

_I could not believe what I just saw. Dad, Mom, and my sister Julia, only about a year old, were sprawled on the floor. Their clothes were stained with blood, and it became clear to me that they were...dead. But still, I refused to believe it..._

_"DAD, MOM, JULIA, PLEASE WAKE UP! YOU CAN'T DIE!!"_

_Then I heard one of the thugs speak to me.  
_

_"So Bladeheart 's son is still here, eh? Don't worry, you'll join your family soon enough..."_

_About 20 of them suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It looked like all of them had come to the house. At that moment, I became filled with hatred. All I could think about was killing them right then and there. They HAD to pay for murdering my family!_

_I then shouted, "I'M GONNA SEND YOU ALL TO HELL RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!!_"

_They closed in on me. I spotted a small sword nearby on the floor. I grabbed the sword and charged at the thugs. Though they swung at me with their own swords, I managed to dodge each swing. One by one, I slaughtered the murderers. The floor was now covered in blood and littered with corpses. And then I heard a voice._

_"Impressive, child."_

_A man who looked about 20 years older than I was back then suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He had spiky hair that was crimson red in color and he had an evil grin on his face. He was a Rogue, but his vest was black instead of red. He then said, "I admire your skill. It's too bad you wasted it on the wrong people..."_

_"What do you mean?" I asked._

_"It was I who killed your family. My gang only cornered them for me," said the man._

_"THEN I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN AS WELL!"_

_I charged at the man and attacked him. But he effortlessly parried every strike of my sword with his Tsurugi sword. In a few seconds, he knocked the sword out of my hand. It fell to the ground. He then put his blade to my throat._

_"Hmph..." he muttered. "I expected better from you, son of Bladeheart."_

_He then prepared to strike. But then, more people burst in. They were Crusaders, and they were quite many! They said, "Hold it right there!"_

_But then the Rogue used a Hide skill and vanished. He had escaped! One of the Crusaders then walked over to me and said, "I'm sorry, Alex. If we got here sooner, we could have saved your father and your family from Robert Deathedge. He's a notorious criminal who got put in jail along with his gang. Your father was the one who caught them, and Robert must have held a grudge against your father. Maybe that's why he busted out of prison- to exact revenge on not only your father, but also your own family."_

_I felt guilty. Guilty that I had failed my family, and most of all, my father. I then made a vow to myself that someday, I would find Robert Deathedge and make him pay for what he had done.  
_

_It was then that the Crusaders of Juno moved me to Prontera. I was to continue my training in Prontera. Then I met Jinzan. We quickly became the best of friends. He was to become a Knight, and I, a Crusader. When I turned 18 and became a Crusader, I received some presents from one of the Crusaders of Juno who came to visit Prontera. That Crusader presented me with my father's sword, the Holy Avenger, and my father's shield, the Holy Guard. The Crusader who gave those things of my father said that my father would have wanted me to have them. And so, with those items, I continued my training, now knowing that even though Dad may have gone, he left me his two most treasured items. And whenever I wield them in battle..._

"... It's like my father is fighting alongside me," finished Alex.

The others were staring at Alex. Apparently, they never knew that Alex had such a horrifying experience before. Selia then said, "Alex, I'm sorry..."

"It's alright," said Alex.

"So that's why you wanted to fight that Tri-Night Guild. You felt like you had to avenge the family of the man we met earlier today," said Jinzan.

"Yeah, you're right..." said Alex.

All of a sudden, the five heard footsteps.

"They're here..." said Jinzan.

The footsteps suddenly became louder. And they came from the south entrance, which was near the place they had camped! The five saw a large group of Rogues entering Morroc, and Alex and the others quickly faced the Rogues.

"Hey, Tri-Night Guild! Come over here and fight us!" said Alex.

Then the Tri-Night Guild stopped walking. A Rogue in the center of the front of the group stepped forward and said, "I see you've grown, son of Bladeheart!" The Rogue had spiky, crimson red hair, and was wearing a black vest. He was holding a Tsurugi sword, and there was an evil grin on his face.

Alex had an angry look on his face as he stared at the Rogue.

"So we meet again, Robert Deathedge."

(end of chapter)

I apologize for not having updated for quite a while...


	13. Chapter 12: Deathedge's Guild

Note: There's a moderately mature scene near the end of this chapter...

**Chapter 12: Deathedge's Guild**

The look on Alex's face was one of pure anger and hatred. He had just seen Robert Deathedge, the man who had murdered his entire family, right in front of him. Alex then shouted, "Why are you here?"

"I lead this guild," replied Deathedge coolly. "I've led them ever since I killed your family. I knew I couldn't return to Juno without getting caught, so I decided to look for a new pastime. And then it hit me. Why not attack Morroc on three days a year, without ever getting caught? And so, I formed the Tri-Night Guild. Every year, we attack the town on three days. And every year, we failed, no matter how much our numbers grow annually. But this year..."

The Rogue smiled nastily.

"...We finally succeeded. And it was all thanks to an old High Priest who was kind enough to Warp us all into the town."

"Valtros!" gasped Jinzan.

"By the time the guards realized that we were inside the town, we were already destroying houses and getting our hands on all the loot that we could find. But the townspeople escaped. I was bummed, as I had slaughtered only a woman and three kids..."

"You... You killed that man's family?" asked Alex.

"Yeah. Too bad though, I could have killed more..."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" roared Alex. He rushed at Deathedge with his sword, intent on avenging his family and the innocent people that Deathedge killed. Deathedge's nasty smile vanished.

"Hmph. So be it." Turning to his gang, he commanded, "Attack!" The other Rogues charged at Alex and the other four.

"Cmon!" said Jinzan to Hachiro and the two girls. "Alex needs backup!"

They then rushed in to help Alex.

A battle then ensued between the five travelers and the Tri-Night Guild. Jinzan, Hachiro, Arianne and Selia were fighting a huge group of Rogues with red vests. The four fought fiercely, and they did not even need to use their skills. One by one, the Rogues fell.

"Oh yeah!" exclaimed Jinzan. "Piece of cake!"

Meanwhile, Alex was engaged in a one-on-one duel with Robert Deathedge. Alex slashed and stabbed with his sword, but Deathedge blocked all of his strikes effortlessly. However, Deathedge could also not hit Alex, due to the fact that he could not get past Alex's shield.

"You've become better at fighting," said Deathedge calmly. "But you're still nothing compared to me."

"Wanna bet?" retorted Alex. "Holy Cross!"

The projectile hit Deathedge. Fortunately for Deathedge, he was not blinded. He only smirked and said, "Not bad. Now how about some of THIS!!" after which he fired a Holy Cross attack at Alex. Alex was hit directly, but due to a Crusader's natural resistance against Holy attacks, he wasn't hurt that much, and luckily, he wasn't blinded as well.

"What the?!" exclaimed Alex. "How the heck..."

Deathedge was grinning evilly again.

"Surprised? You shouldn't be. I can use the Plagiarism ability unique to Rogues like myself. It allows me to use the last offensive skill used on me. I can only copy one skill at a time, but it's a nasty ability, don't you think?" He then scanned the surroundings and said, "Hmm... It seems your friends have made it past my...minor lackeys."

"Minor lackeys? What do you mean?" asked Alex.

"It means that I have backup. Better fighters than the guys I brought with me." Deathedge then shouted, "Alright guys, you can come out now!"

About a hundred Rogues suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They had been hiding, only waiting for Deathedge's call! They surrounded the five companions. Deathedge then said, "Meet the rest of my gang! And now..."

Deathedge suddenly vanished, and appeared right behind Selia! Alex shouted, "SELIA! BEHIND YOU!!"

But it was too late. Deathedge stabbed his blade into Selia.

"AAAAAAAAAAAGH!!"

There was a loud scream of pain. But it didn't come from Selia. And strangely, she did not feel any pain at all, and there was no wound where the sword had stabbed her. She looked around to find the one who screamed, and it was...

"Alex!"

Alex had dropped to his knees. There was a wound in his chest, right in the same spot where Selia had been stabbed. His armor was now stained with blood. Deathedge smirked and withdrew his blade.

"Ha," said Deathedge. "You're as pathetic as your father. He used the Devotion skill to try and save his family from being killed. It looks like you did the same for your lady friend here. How noble... It makes me sick just thinking about it..."

Selia turned around and said, "Take this, you bastard! Holy Light!"

The direct blast of holy energy knocked Deathedge backwards to the ground.

"Get them..." muttered Deathedge weakly, before fainting.

The Rogues closed in on the five. Jinzan shouted, "We've gotta wipe out these guys! Arianne, help Alex up! Selia, Hachiro, help me fight!"

Jinzan's companions did as they were told. Arianne helped Alex to stand up, while Jinzan, Selia and Hachiro fought the surrounding Rogues bravely. This wave of Rogues were indeed better fighters than the last wave, but in about a few minutes, the Rogues fell to the three. They then walked over to the northeast gate. In about 2 minutes, the five had made it past the gate. However...

"Argh..."

Alex fell down to the ground on his back. Selia cast a Heal spell on Alex, but the wound wouldn't close.

"Guys... Leave me here. I'm too weak now... I can't go on," muttered Alex.

"NO!" cried Selia. "YOU CAN'T DIE! HEAL!!"

The wound would still not close...

"It's no use... It's a direct stab to the heart. I don't have much longer now," said Alex weakly. "Damn it... I haven't exacted revenge on Deathedge yet... But I'll finally see my family...and you guys are gonna take Deathedge out for me, right?"

"NO, WE WON'T! _YOU_ TAKE HIM OUT YOURSELF! HEAL!!"

But the wound still remained open. Jinzan thought, _Dammit, there's gotta be a way to save my buddy! Wait..._

Jinzan pulled something out of his pocket. It was an Yggdrasil berry. He remembered his grandmother, who gave the berry to him. She had said before, _"Take this, young one. It is a fruit from the Yggdrasil tree, and it contains some of the tree's power. Use it only when you really need it."_ Jinzan suddenly felt relieved. He had the solution to Alex's crisis!

Jinzan then headed over to Alex and gave him the fruit. Alex said, "No thanks, I'm not really hungry right now..."

"This is no time for jokes, Al! Eat the fruit! Now!"

Alex then ate the fruit. While chewing, he muttered, "Mmm...tasty!" Then suddenly, his whole body glowed. When the glow was gone, the wound in his chest closed, and the bloodstains on his armor disappeared.

"How do you feel, Alex?" asked Selia worriedly.

"A whole lot better!" answered Alex happily. He then stood up and thanked Jinzan. He had regained his energy, and he felt good. "Alrighty, let's go!"

"Where to?" asked Jinzan.

"I can see a Pyramid ahead. Let's go in and explore it!"

The other four agreed, and they headed for the Pyramid.

Meanwhile, back in Morroc, Robert Deathedge awoke. The Rogues that were with him awoke as well. Deathedge muttered, "So they escaped."

One of the Rogues asked, "Should we follow them?"

"No," answered Deathedge. "We'll meet up with them again, soon enough..."

Meanwhile...

Inside the Pyramid, the five were walking. Arianne said, "This dungeon is quite confusing!"

"You got that right," added Selia. Then, she looked around, and said, "Hey! Where's Jinzan?"

"I dunno," replied Alex. "He's probably wandering off on his own. He usually does that when we're walking in Prontera... Cmon, let's go look for him."

And so, the four decided to look for Jinzan.

At that moment...

In another part of the Pyramids, Jinzan was walking alone. He exclaimed, "Wow, this place is quite cool!" And then he heard a voice.

"Come to me..."

The voice sounded like a woman. It was a soft and seductive voice. It came from a nearby corridor. Jinzan followed the sound of the voice. In no time at all, he found the source.

"Oh yeah..."

It was an Isis, a creature with the lower body of a snake, but with the upper body of a lovely, naked woman. She spoke in a seductive voice again.

"Come forward..."

Jinzan obeyed. He walked forward, and he stopped right in front of the Isis.

"What do you want?" asked Jinzan.

"I only want you," said the Isis. "Be mine, and I will satisfy your desires..."

"Yes... I am yours..."

Jinzan stepped closer to the Isis. The snake-woman then wrapped her long tail around him and pressed her naked upper body against his armor. She grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips. It was a long kiss of pure lust and passion, and Jinzan's mind became free of worries. All he wanted now was to be with the Isis forever. He did not even notice one of her hands slide away from the side of his face, preparing to sink her long, sharp nails into him...

_BOOM!_

Suddenly, a sphere of energy hit the Isis and felled it to the floor. Selia and the others suddenly arrived on the scene. The look on Selia's face was one of unmistakable anger.

"WHAT THE _HELL _ARE YOU DOING?" shouted Selia.

"I...I...It's not what you think...ehehe..." stammered Jinzan, who looked like he had just snapped out of a trance.

"NEVER MIND WHAT YOU DID! LET'S JUST GO, ALRIGHT?"

And she walked off. Alex approached Jinzan and said, "Don't worry about it. The jealousy bug just struck again, that's all. In fact... I think it just bit me! How the heck did you make out with that Isis?"

"I really don't know," replied Jinzan, who was apparently shocked by his kiss with the snake-woman. "She just called me, and then..."

"Don't worry about it, dude."

Jinzan then glanced over at Arianne and said, "Arianne, I...I..."

"It's all right, Jinzan. I know you didn't mean to do it."

"Thanks, Arianne."

The four then walked off as well and followed Selia. As they were walking, Hachiro said to Jinzan, "Cool, Jinzan! Another big time score! How did you do it, man?"

"It wasn't me, Hachiro."

"Well if it wasn't you, then who was it? The Isis?"

"Well, yeah. The point is, sometimes hot chicks aren't meant to be approached, coz sometimes, they're too sizzling hot for you, and they could burn you to a crisp..."

And they continued walking.

(end of chapter)

Jinzan is one lucky bastard...


	14. Chapter 13: When Mummies Attack

Ok, I understand that it's already been one month and a couple of weeks since my last update. I'm really, really, sorry about that. It's just that my parents just got a computer here in Canada a couple of weeks ago and they've been using it often, so I don't really have much computer time. But the real reason for my long delay in updating was that I had a hard time thinking up stuff for what happens next in the story. So once again, I apologize. But anyway, here it is: Chapter 13. Enjoy!

**Chapter 13: When Mummies Attack**

The five travelers continued exploring the Pyramids. They went deeper in, and at one point Arianne stopped.

"Hey, what's up?" asked Jinzan.

"I have a funny feeling that we're being watched..."

"What are you talking about?" asked Hachiro. "There's no one in here besides us! Well...there's also the Isis we met earlier..."

"Don't remind me," said Jinzan. "Anyway, you're right. We're the only ones here."

"I don't know... Something's watching us, I can feel it!" said Arianne.

"Hmm... Let me try sensing it," said Selia. "Ruwach!"

A mist of white glowing energy shaped like a fireball appeared and circled around her. She then began to walk around. But the mist revealed nothing.

"Well, nothing I can detect," said Selia.

"Oh... I guess you're right..." said Arianne. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid... Hehe..."

All of a sudden, the five heard groaning noises.

"Eek! What was that?" said Arianne.

"Oh man, you heard it too?" said Alex. "Then that means we're really not alone. Be on your guard, everyone!"

Then, figures started coming out of the shadows. They had a humanlike shape, but their bodies were covered in bandages and they had a rotten smell...

"MUMMIES!!" exclaimed Alex.

"EEEEEEK!!" screamed the two girls. Jinzan then said to them, "Hey, what gives? Are you two real adventurers or not?" Selia and Arianne then went into their battle-ready positions.

The Mummies walked towards the five. They knew what they had to do...

"Magnum Break!" roared Jinzan.

"Roundhouse Kick!" shouted Hachiro.

A few Mummies were felled...

"Heal!" cried Selia and Alex.

More were taken down...

"Mammonite!" cried Arianne, throwing pouches containg lots of money. Finally, the last of the Mummies surrounding them were beaten. Jinzan then said gleefully, "Well, that was a piece of cake!"

"Oh, really?"

Valtros suddenly materialized in front of them.

"Valtros! I can't believe my luck. This time I'll finish you off!" shouted Jinzan.

"Hah, don't be foolish, boy. Besides, I don't have time to deal with the likes of you right now. By the way, someone's not too happy about you destroying all those Mummies... Want to know who?"

He stretched his hand out, as if to cast a spell. A black circle appeared on the ground before him, and then something began to materialize inside the circle... It seemed like another Mummy, but it's bandages were colored purple, and it had a gold crown on its head, which only contributed to the dark, yet majestic aura that it exuded...

"That creature..." muttered Alex, "It's Osiris, Lord of the Undead! But how?"

"How, you ask?" gloated Valtros. "It's simple. At the Dark Lord's request, I am seeking to master the vilest and most powerful creatures in all of Midgard. But to do that, I must use this first..."

Valtros pulled out a stone from his pocket and showed it to the five. "You see this? This stone is called the Prison of Souls. It was given to me by the Dark Lord, to use on my mission. It allows me to trap the body and soul of a powerful creature and store them inside. Once that is done, a copy of the creature will be released and will then bend to the Dark Lord's will.

"You mean..."

"Yes. This Osiris is an exact copy of the original, but with increased strength and abilities. Yet it is only a mere puppet, and only the Dark Lord and I can pull its strings! But anyway, enough of this chit-chat. I still have other matters to attend to. So, I'll see you sometime in the future...OR NEVER AGAIN! Osiris, destroy them!"

And Valtros teleported away in a flash of light. Osiris then let out a loud groaning noise, more terrifying than those of the Mummies earlier. All of a sudden, hundreds of Mummies and Ancient Mummies instantly appeared out of nowhere! The five companions were surrounded, and the situation seemed hopeless.

"Holy..." muttered Hachiro.

"No..." gasped Arianne.

"We're done for!" said Alex.

"Cmon, guys, we gotta fight!" said Selia. But there was a tone of helplessness in her voice.

"Dammit," cursed Jinzan. "If only we had something that can wipe out all of these guys..."

The hordes of undead moved closer towards the five. It seemed that this was the end...

"Lord of Vermillion!" echoed a voice.

An enormous barrage of lightning bolts suddenly fell from above. It wiped out a portion of the undead horde.

"What the!?" gasped Alex.

"That spell..." muttered Selia. "It's a Wizard! Someone's come to help us!"

The voice continued to shout out the Lord of Vermillion spell. More and more undead were wiped out with each cast. When about one-third of the undead horde were gone, Osiris suddenly turned away from the direction of the five. He then turned to a pillar, and his army turned in that direction as well. Osiris let out another groan, and the undead began to approach the pillar. The voice began shouting out the Lord of Vermillion spell again.

"Oh no... I think the someone I mentioned is now the target!" said Selia. "We have to help him!"

"You got it!" said Jinzan. "Cmon, let's take out Osiris! If he's gone, then those other guys are gonna be easy meat!"

The five then charged at Osiris. However, the Lord of the Undead proved to be a formidable foe. Jinzan, Arianne and Hachiro attacked with physical power, while Selia and Alex used Heal on Osiris. But even after many attacks, the Undead Lord was still standing. However, he seemed weakened now, and the five saw their chance.

"Jinz! Finish him!" said Alex. Jinzan then slashed Osiris with the tip of his spear. The Undead Lord then writhed and screamed in pain, and fell down to the ground. A black aura then engulfed Osiris, and after a few seconds both the aura and Osiris vanished.

"So... Is he gone?" asked Selia.

"Yeah," replied Alex. "He's toast."

"Okay!" said Jinzan. "Now for his undead lackeys... Huh?"

When Jinzan turned, he suddenly noticed that there were bandages lying on the ground. It seemed that just as he and the other four had beaten Osiris, all of the other undead had been obliterated by many casts of the powerful spell earlier. All that he saw was a person. Selia suddenly shouted, "Hey! Over here!"

The person approached. It was indeed a Wizard, as Selia had thought, and the Wizard was a male. He had the standard Wizard cloak, shirt and pants. His shirt was colored silver except for the lines on it which were gold, and he had a serious-looking face, brown eyes, and short green hair with bangs that covered the upper part of his forehead. In his right hand, he held a Mighty Staff.

Jinzan approached the Wizard. "Hey, thanks for the help earlier."

The Wizard responded, "Heh, no problem."

"We really owe you one, man. By the way, I'm Ji-"

"Jinzan Kiryoku," interrupted the Wizard.

"How'd you know my name?"

"I've been to Prontera once. I heard that you were the greatest fighter there...the Ace Knight, you were called?"

"Um, yeah?"

"I saw how you fought Osiris. You're not half bad. You managed to live up to your title. Your Crusader pal here needs to work on his technique, though," said the Wizard.

"Hey! What do you mean by that?" said Alex.

"What I meant is that I've seen Crusaders that fight better than you. You rely too much on your magic, while other Crusaders know how to balance their arcane skill with their weapon proficiency."

"What the heck are you talking about? I'm good with my sword, too!" said Alex. He seemed a bit angry now.

"Oh, really?" sneered the Wizard. "Then tell me why you didn't even bother to use your blade against Osiris."

"It...it...it's just strategy! My magic would be more effective against him!" said Alex.

"Exactly my point. You used your spells against Osiris because you wanted to finish him quickly. You don't even want to challenge yourself by using something that would only work normally against him."

"Argh... What do you know of battle strategy? And WHO THE HELL are you to tell me how to fight?" shouted Alex.

"Hmph... I think I'll answer your second question first. My name is Franco Arcanis. And as for you're first question...well, let's say I have experience in close combat myself."

"Ha!" exclaimed Alex. "You? A Wizard? Close combat experience? You must be nuts, dude!"

"Oh yeah? Then why don't you prove it then? Fight me without your magic, and I'll fight without mine," said Franco.

"BRING IT ON THEN!" said Alex. "Guys, stand back!"

The other four stepped away, while Alex and Franco faced each other. Alex then shouted, "You'll be begging for mercy when I'm through with you!"

"Then why don't you make the first move, Crusader?"

Alex immediately charged at Franco without hesitation and slashed furiously with his sword. But no matter how many times Alex slashed, Franco always dodged each slash with ease.

"Raargh! Why...won't...you...go...down?" said Alex as he attacked.

After what seemed to be like a minute of slashing, Alex began to tire. He suddenly dropped his sword. Seeing his chance, Franco quickly went behind Alex and hit Alex with his staff.

"Aagh!" cried Alex. He fell down on one knee. He managed to get back up, but couldn't move well. Franco quickly grabbed Alex's sword and pointed it at Alex's face.

"You lose," said Franco.

"Enough!" said Jinzan. "Give Alex the sword, Franco."

Franco laid down Alex's sword at its owner's feet. He then said to Jinzan, "Hmph... I understand now. If this is how one of your friends fight, then you and the rest of them must be worse..."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!" shouted Jinzan. "Leave me and the others out of this!"

"Drop it, Jinzan," said Alex after picking up his sword. "It's not like this guy has any friends to speak of anyway."

"That's one thing you got right, Alex," said Franco. "I don't have friends and I don't need any. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to leave now."

And as he turned to leave, Selia said, "Wait! Where are you going?"

"To Geffen. I have to stop Valtros."

"What?! You know about Valtros?"

"Yes. I saw him pass by Geffen on his way to and from Glast Heim before. There is an evil aura about him, which is why he must be stopped at all costs. I'm going there alone. Feel free to follow, if you like. Just don't get in my way..."

Franco then pulled out a Butterfly Wing and held it up in the air. It glowed, and then suddenly Franco vanished along with it.

"He's bluffing!" said Alex.

"Maybe, but let's follow him anyway," said Selia.

"But Valtros could be anywhere!"

"You're right, but this guy is our only lead. So, you all agree?"

Alex and Jinzan nodded reluctantly. The other two also gave nods, but without reluctance. Selia then used Warp Portal, and she, Alex, Arianne and Hachiro stepped into the warp. Jinzan bowed his head for a moment and closed his eyes.

_Damn you, Franco! You just wait... I'll show you that no one insults me or my friends and gets away with it! _

He then raised up his head and stepped into the portal.

(end of chapter)


End file.
